If its really about calories then explain to me why.....

amyschicos
amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it that sooo many people lose weight so much quicker when they eat less than 20 grams of carbs per day? I see soooo many success stories where people lose 50-60 lb in 5 months (for example) these are people who are not extremely obese either..whereas counting calories you rarely see where they lose that much in that short period of time? So is it really the deficit in your daily calories that count? All these numerous stories I read & see lose so much so quick eating low carb!!
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Replies

  • amyschicos
    amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
    For example a friend of mine started out weighing 215 she lost 75 lb in less than 6 months! Never have I heard of this being done counting calories! She was eating 20 grams of carbs a day & not counting calories just carbs!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Why is it that sooo many people lose weight so much quicker when they eat less than 20 grams of carbs per day? I see soooo many success stories where people lose 50-60 lb in 5 months (for example) these are people who are not extremely obese either..whereas counting calories you rarely see where they lose that much in that short period of time? So is it really the deficit in your daily calories that count? All these numerous stories I read & see lose so much so quick eating low carb!!

    Fat loss is insignificantly different holding cals and protein constant. Fat loss > weight loss
  • Scott15Fit
    Scott15Fit Posts: 71
    I've lost 17.6 pounds in 7 weeks so far by eating a balanced diet with 1000 calorie deficit (ie. 1kg / 2 pounds per week) and alot of exercise. I wouldn't want to loose any faster than that.
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
    I'd rather lose weight eating what I want than cutting or restricting a food group. Especially considering what will probably happen once you start eating that food group again after you reach your goal weight.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    It's not about how fast you lose the weight. It's about creating a new, healthy lifestyle. Any diet where you restrict will work, but most of the time you will put the wieght right back on as soon as you re-introduce whatever you've cut out of your diet.
    It doesn't matter how FAST you lose the weight if you don't keep it off.
  • amyschicos
    amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
    But im asking WHY do low carvers lose so much faster than calorie counters if its the calories that matter so much!
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,276 Member
    And when she loses all the weight she wants and starts eating normally, she will gain it all back. I much prefer to lose weight in a much more normal way, enjoy my food, and be thin for life. :)

    ETA - You have to eat SOME carbs or your body will pull energy from your muscle tissue instead.
  • amyschicos
    amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
    Still wondering WHY if its calories in calories out that matter!! Why they are able to lose soo much faster??
  • Scott15Fit
    Scott15Fit Posts: 71
    How fast do you really need to loose the weight? You can do it either way but through a balanced diet it is much better for you long term.
    If your going to go to extremes why not say, why diet at all, why don't we all just get liposuction.
  • chellebublz
    chellebublz Posts: 568 Member
    I believe it's because the quality of calories DO count no matter how much all of the road map people tell you otherwise. I would rather eat 1500 clean calories than fill the gap with carbs and fat. Most of the people who eat clean eat a lower amount of carbs anyways.
  • amyschicos
    amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
    All I want to know is WHY they (low carbers) lose at such a faster rate than calorie counters? That's it! Not opinions (with all due respect)
  • amyschicos
    amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
    I believe it's because the quality of calories DO count no matter how much all of the road map people tell you otherwise. I would rather eat 1500 clean calories than fill the gap with carbs and fat. Most of the people who eat clean eat a lower amount of carbs anyways.

    Thank you but do you see what im saying? Im wondering why those that follow lets say the Atkins WOE lose so much quicker?
  • Thorssoneg
    Thorssoneg Posts: 9
    I lost 73 lbs in the first 6 months of just counting calories, eating better and exercising. I still enjoy my carbs, just in moderation.
  • MrGonzo05
    MrGonzo05 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I lost 79 lbs in 8 months, and ate plenty of carbs.
  • MarcPower
    MarcPower Posts: 67 Member
    Why ask the question if you always dismiss people's responses?
  • HOTSTUFFyes
    HOTSTUFFyes Posts: 18
    I beilve in low Low calorie if it works for you or you can zigzag carbs Like, for example,
    Dont eat above 100 carbs a day which that is really low,
    Than the next day have More than 100 carbs,And
    iv come to realize if she was just counting carbs and not calories
    she would not lose weight, It really is about calories in vs calories out
    its scientific their is no other scientific evidence, but count calories will work in the long run!
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    i've lost 89 pounds in 7 months by counting calories. while i do eat significantly fewer carbs than before, i in no way subscribe to a "low carb" lifestyle.

    ETA: if i lost any faster, it would be considered unhealthy, so it's not like eating carbs is holding me back. at all.
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    Your friend who lost weight counting carbs instead of calories may have also been eating low calories as a side effect of cutting out most carbs.
  • mortyfit
    mortyfit Posts: 354 Member
    Low-carb diets are known for yielding fast weight loss. Shedding up to 15 pounds in two weeks on Atkins, for example, isn't out of the ordinary. However, much of what's initially lost on low-carb diets is water, not fat, because these diets have what's known as a diuretic effect. That's true of many other diets, too, and is a major reason researchers don't judge diets based on a few weeks of results.

    HOWEVER....you're going to get an opinion anyway, now that I've answered your question. If you really need to lose some weight that fast, then go for it. But if you want to sustain the loss and build a healthier diet, I wouldn't stay on low-carb for long. You will rapidly find yourself fatigued, for one thing.
    I am a bit biased, I'm a runner so I NEED my carbs! Carbs are fuel!
  • chellebublz
    chellebublz Posts: 568 Member
    I do see what you are saying. It's comparable to losing weight through cardio vs cardio plus lifting. YOu will lose fast through cardio but be skinny fat. The same is true for eating habits. If you lose too fast, which is what happens with low carb, you are going to lose a ton of muscle mass. I could be wrong since I"m not knowledgeable on the scientific aspects, but that's the way I understand it.
  • Tanya761
    Tanya761 Posts: 146
    Probably because carbs = sugar, and excess sugar = fat.

    My mom is a newly diagnosed diabetic, and lost almost 40 lbs from October 2012-January 2013. She was watching carbs because her Endocrinologist gave her the diabetic info and she had to.

    The 20 g/day is very low. Even as a diabetic and having to lose weight as well as control blood sugars, she was told to consule 45-60g of carbs/meal and 15g carbs for each snack (2-3 snacks/day). And she still managed to lose.

    She only started with exercise in maybe December when the Diabetic program had openings, so I know food is why she lost.

    Anyway, just my 2 cents. Probably has something to do with sugar.
  • amyschicos
    amyschicos Posts: 30 Member
    Welllll y'all are men! Honestly men tend to lose faster anyways.. These are women I see that lose so much eating low carb!
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    All I want to know is WHY they (low carbers) lose at such a faster rate than calorie counters? That's it! Not opinions (with all due respect)

    they are losing most of their weight from their LBM and water weight. it's not sustainable and its not healthy and they'll end up yo-yo'ing more often than not.
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
    For example a friend of mine started out weighing 215 she lost 75 lb in less than 6 months! Never have I heard of this being done counting calories! She was eating 20 grams of carbs a day & not counting calories just carbs!

    I lost 70 pounds in four months eating 200+ grams of carbs every day.
  • CharityGC
    CharityGC Posts: 499 Member
    You can't really answer that question without knowing the person's eating habits before. Did they gain weight because they loved bread, pasta, candy? Was that their main calorie intake? Because if you take those foods away, they are lowering calories whether or not they're technically counting them.
  • JoshuaL86
    JoshuaL86 Posts: 403 Member
    I believe it's because the quality of calories DO count no matter how much all of the road map people tell you otherwise. I would rather eat 1500 clean calories than fill the gap with carbs and fat. Most of the people who eat clean eat a lower amount of carbs anyways.

    No. Eating clean does not equate to eating low carb or low fat.
  • l3xii
    l3xii Posts: 160
    I did low carbs 3 times for fast weight loss and I can tell you it comes off fast but it comes back even faster when you no longer do it. In fact i gained double back each time when i started eating carbs again. Not to mention your body craves the carbs because your lacking them on top of the fact its super hard and very unhealthy.
  • MadameMoustache
    MadameMoustache Posts: 54 Member
    To the OP. I recommend you watch the documentary "Fat Head" (it's on Netflix also).
    Really, this will explain much more precisely how insulin and carbohydrates plays a role in the process of gaining weight/loosing weight. I could explain, but it's long and I'm sure I will do it wrong.

    But basically, all carbs are transformed into sugar in your body, which is stored as glycogen, then as fat.
    Let's not forget that in the first weeks, people on a low carbs diet loose a lot of water weight, wich contributes to the rapid weight loss.
  • pkarim
    pkarim Posts: 171
    When you eat low carb your body doesn't have enough carbs to use as fuel so it starts to burn your FAT for fuel. If you eat 100grams of carbs a day and stay under a certain calorie limit, your body is still storing those unused carbs as FAT. Low carb is more about fat loss then it is weight loss.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Your friend who lost weight counting carbs instead of calories may have also been eating low calories as a side effect of cutting out most carbs.
    I was just about to say this.

    If I dropped my usual carb intake (~100 grams) to 20 grams... I'd be eating 2240 less calories per week. That's 2/3 of a pound a week.

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